Yankee Clipper – World Book INK worldbookblog Leave a comment Joe DiMaggio, who was born on Nov. 25, 1914, was one of the greatest and most popular players in baseball history. DiMaggio played his entire career, from 1936 to 1951, with the New York Yankees. He was nicknamed “the Yankee Clipper” because of his graceful fielding as an outfielder. He was also called “Joltin’ Joe” because of his powerful hitting. DiMaggio had a lifetime batting average of .325 and hit 361 home runs. His record of hitting safely in 56 consecutive games in 1941 is one of the most enduring in baseball history. DiMaggio played in 10 World Series and was voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player in 1939, 1941, and 1947. DiMaggio was a superhero in American sports before television was available to spread the popularity of celebrities. Americans eagerly followed his playing career and personal life through newspapers and on radio.

DiMaggio’s brief marriage to actress Marilyn Monroe in 1954 caused a national sensation. More than 15 years after DiMaggio retired as a player, Paul Simon’s hit song “Mrs. Robinson” could still nostalgically capture the hold that the baseball great had on the American imagination: Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you, What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson, “Joltin Joe” has left and gone away. Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California. He died in Hollywood, Florida, on March 8, 1999. Two of his brothers, Dominic and Vincent, also played major league baseball. DiMaggio was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955, the first year he was eligible. Joe DiMaggio | American baseball player | Britannica.com American baseball player Alternative Titles: Joltin’ Joe, Joseph Paul DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio Derek Jeter Joe DiMaggio, byname of Joseph Paul DiMaggio, also called Joltin’ Joe or the Yankee Clipper (born Nov.

25, 1914, Martinez , Calif., U.S.—died March 8, 1999, Hollywood , Fla.), American professional baseball player who was an outstanding hitter and fielder and one of the best all-round players in the history of the game. Joe DiMaggio. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. DiMaggio was the son of Italian immigrants who made their living by fishing. He quit school at 14 and at 17 joined his brother Vincent and began playing baseball with the minor league San Francisco Seals. (In addition to Vincent, who would go on to play for several major league teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates , a younger DiMaggio brother, Dominic, played for the Boston Red Sox.) Joe’s contract with San Francisco was purchased by the New York Yankees , and he was brought up to the major leagues in 1936. In his rookie season with the Yankees he batted .323 during the regular season and .346 against the New York Giants during the World Series .

In 1937 DiMaggio led the American League in home runs and runs scored, and in 1939 and 1940 he led the American League in batting, with averages of .381 and .352. DiMaggio was a very consistent hitter; early in his career, during his 1933 season with the Seals, he had a hitting streak of 61 consecutive games. His consistency led to one of the most remarkable records of major league baseball—DiMaggio’s feat of hitting safely in 56 consecutive games (May 15–July 16, 1941). The prior record for the longest hitting streak of 44 games was set in 1897 (and, at that time, foul balls did not count as strikes). With the exception of DiMaggio’s streak, no player has hit in more than 44 consecutive games since. In addition to his fine hitting ability, DiMaggio had outstanding skill as a fielder, tying the American League fielding record in 1947 with only one error in 141 games.

Indeed, he played his position in center field with such languid expertise that some ill-informed fans thought he was lazy—he rarely had to jump against the outfield wall to make a catch or dive for balls, he was simply there to catch them. (From left to right) Lou Gehrig, Joe Cronin, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie … Harris & Ewing/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-H22- D-1887) Outfielder Joe DiMaggio, of the New York Yankees, at bat against the Washington Senators, June 30, … © Bettmann/Corbis The Baseball Guru - Remembering the Yankee Clipper: Joe DiMaggio by Harvey Frommer Remembering the Yankee Clipper: Joe DiMaggio By Harvey Frommer He was born November 25, 1914 in Martinez, California, and he would have been celebrating his 85th birthday this week. Too bad the Yankee Clipper didn't get the chance to blow out the candles. Joseph Paul DiMaggio was one of nine children of a fisherman father who had emigrated from Sicily.

It was all planned for Joe to become a fisherman like his father, but Joe could not abide the smell of fish and he often got seasick. His real passion was playing baseball. In 1934, he was playing baseball about as well as it could be played when his contract with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League was purchased by the Yankees. The deal contained the clause that the graceful outfielder be allowed to play one more season for the seals. His 1935 season gave the people of San Francisco something to remember - he batted .398, recorded 270 hits, and drove in 154 runs. Permission was granted for DiMag in 1936 to drive cross-country with fellow San Franciscans Tony Lazzeri and Frank Crosetti to the Yankee spring training camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. Lazzeri turned to DiMaggio after the trio had concluded one day of driving and said, "You take over, Joe." "I don't drive," DiMaggio answered It was reported that these were the only words he uttered during the entire three-day automobile trek. As a Yankee he didn't do much talking either.

His abilities on the playing field said it all. He would step into the batter's box and stub his right toe into the dirt in back of his left heel. It was almost a dance step. His feet were spaced approximately four feet apart, with the weight of his frame on his left leg. Erect, almost in a military position, Joe Dee would hold his bat at the end and poise it on his right shoulder - a rifle at the ready. He would look at the pitcher from deep in the batter's box and assume a stance that almost crowded the plate. He was ready. In DiMaggio's time - 13 seasons with the Yankees - they won 10 pennants. In 1951, the man they called the Yankee Clipper, retired at age 36. Management attempted to get him to perform in pinstripes for one more season. But he had too much pride, and too much pain. He knew it was over. Joseph Paul DiMaggio left behind the memory of a player who moved about in the vast centerfield of Yankee Stadium with an almost poetical grace.

He had played when he was fatigued, when he was hurt, when it mattered a great deal, and when it didn't matter at all. "Joe was the complete player in everything he did," said his former manager Joe McCarthy. "They'd hit the ball to center field and Joe would stretch out those long legs of his and run the ball down. He never made a mistake on the bases and in Yankee Stadium, a tough park for a right-hander, he was a great hitter, one of the best." DiMag had a career average of .325, 361 home runs, eight World Series home runs, and two batting championships. He also won three MVP's and hold the record of 56 straight games with a hit. "Those statistics don't even tell half the story," said DiMag's former teammate pitcher Eddie Lopat. "What he meant to the Yankees, you'll never find in the statistics. He was the real leader of our team. He was the best." That he was! "I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee." "There was an aura about him," Phil Rizzuto said.

"Joe didn't sweat," veteran sportswriter Red Foley said, "he perspired." The date was March 17, 1936. In his first game with the Yankees, Joe DiMaggio rapped our four hits as New York lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in a spring training exhibition game. That was how he started - and he never let up. He was born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio on November 25, 1914 in Martinez, California, one of nine children of Rosalie and Giuseppe DiMaggio, a crab fisherman father, an émigré from Sicily. It was all planned for Joe to become a fisherman like him. But his real passion was playing baseball, a game his father called "a bum's game." On the sandlots of San Francisco, the young DiMaggio developed baseball skills by hitting balls with a broken oar from a fishing boat. The kids he played with called him "Long Legs," in Italian. He was always tall for his age. With the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1933, DiMag hit safely in 61 straight games.

The next year, playing shortstop, he batted .341, but injured his knee. Yankee scouts Joe Devine and Bill Essick downplayed the injury in their reports to General Manager Ed Barrow. "Don't back off because of the kid's knee," Essick recommended. "He'll be all right. "Getting him," George Weiss said on many occasions," was the greatest thing I ever did for the Yankees." The deal contained the clause that DiMaggio be allowed to play one more season for the Seals. Did he play! He played and batted .398, recorded 270 hits, and drove in 154 runs. In 1936, permission was granted for DiMag to drive cross-country with fellow San Franciscans Tony Lazzeri and Frank Crosetti to the Yankee spring training camp in Florida. Lazzeri turned to DiMaggio after the trio had concluded one day of driving and asked: "Would you like to take over and drive?" "I don't drive." It was reported that those were the only words uttered by DiMag in that three day cross country trek.

"Joe DiMaggio was a guy who didn't graduate from high school," noted Jerry Coleman. "He went to about the 10th grade. He was totally insecure, and consequently his quietness came from his saying nothing rather than saying something that would make him look bad." On March 2, l936 DiMaggio finally reported to spring training. Red Ruffing greeted him with "So you're the great DiMaggio?" He played in his first major league game on May 3, 1936, at Yankee Stadium against the St. Louis Browns. In his first time at bat, he hit the second pitch into left field for a single. He had another single and then a triple to left field. Joe DiMaggio played 138 games in his rookie season, hit .323, with 29 home runs and 125 runs batted in. He would step into the batter's box and stub his right toe into the dirt in back of his left heel. It was almost a dance step. His feet were spaced approximately four feet apart, with the weight of his frame on his left leg.

Erect, almost in a military position, Joe Dee would hold his bat at the end and poise it on his right shoulder - a rifle at the ready. He would peer at the pitcher from deep in the batter's box with a stance that almost crowded the plate. He was ready. DiMag held the bat back, and didn't stride very much, maybe four five inches," noted Monte Irvin. "I watched that. I became a pretty good hitter because I watched Joe. In later years I told him that I copied him." In DiMaggio's first four seasons (1936-39), the Yankees not only won four straight World Series but they also lost only a total of three Series games. "Joe was the complete player in everything he did," said his former manager Joe McCarthy. "They'd hit the ball to center field and Joe would stretch out those long legs of his and run the ball down. He never made a mistake on the bases and in Yankee Stadium, a tough park for a right-hander, he was a great hitter, one of the best." Secure in his feeling that he was the greatest baseball player of his time, Joe DiMaggio was fiercely concerned about his public image.

Being silly in public was not for him. His shoes were always shined, all his buttons were always buttoned, his impeccably tailored clothes fit seamlessly. DiMaggio led the major leagues in room service. On road trips, no one ate alone in his hotel room as often as he did. It all fit DiMaggio's personality which seemed placid, disciplined, calm. Only those in the Yankee clubhouse saw the legs scraped and raw from hard slides or diving catches. Only those in the clubhouse saw him sit for a half hour or more in front of his locker after the Yankees had lost or when he thought he had played beneath his exceptionally high standards. In 1941, the Yankee Clipper put together his season of seasons. He batted .351, paced the American League with 125 RBIs, hit 30 home runs. He also struck out just 13 times. But the centerpiece of that marvelous season was DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak which was a main reason for his winning the MVP award, narrowly edging out Ted Williams who batted .406. Military service and injuries limited DiMaggio to just 13 years in pinstripes.

But it was a time the Yankees won 10 pennants and nine world championships. On Joe DiMaggio Day in 1949 the Yankee Clipper said: "When I was in San Francisco, Lefty O'Doul told me: 'Joe, don't let the big city scare you. New York is the friendliest town in the world.' This day proves it. I want to thank my fans, my friends, my manager Casey Stengel; my teammates, the gamest, fightingest bunch of guys that ever lived. And I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee." DiMaggio won three MVP awards, two batting titles, was named to the All-Star team every season he played, slammed 361 career homers, was struck out just 369 times, averaged 118 RBIs and had a .325 lifetime batting average. The Yankee Clipper homered once every 18.9 at bats, his homer to hit ratio was 1 to 6.13.

He won home run titles 11 years apart, 1937 and 1948, slugging percentage titles 13 years apart 1937 and 1950. Those statistics," his teammate Eddie Lopat said,"don't even tell half the story. What he meant to the Yankees, you'll never find in the statistics. He was the real leader of our team. He was the best." In 1951, the man they called the Yankee Clipper, retired at age 36. Management attempted to get him to perform in pinstripes for one more season. But he had too much pride, and too much pain. "I no longer have it." DiMaggio said. "I can no longer produce for my club, my manager, my teammates and my fans. It has become a chore for me to play. . . . When baseball is no longer fun, it's no longer a game." Joseph Paul DiMaggio left behind the imagery of a player who moved about in the vast centerfield of Yankee Stadium with a poetical grace.

He was one who played when he was fatigued, when he was hurt, when it mattered a great deal, and when it didn't matter at all. "I was out there to play and give it all I had all the time," he said. "Joe could do more things just a little better than others,'' former Yankee pitcher Jim Turner recalled. "He was a superb athlete. So graceful, both at bat and in the field. It would be hard to match him for genuine dignity. He probably was the greatest team player in the history of the game.'' Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955, Joe DiMaggio passed away on March 8, 1999 at age 84.

(SIDEBAR) Gifts presented to Joe DiMaggio on his day at Yankee Stadium, October 1, 1949: Cadillac automobile, Dodge auto for his mother, Cris-Craft boat, Longine Baro Thermo calendar watch, Waltham watch chain knife, a wallet with religious gifts, golf cuff links, gold belt buckle, 14-karat gold cufflinks and tie pin, 51" loving cup trophy, Admiral television set, Dumont television set, deer rifle, bronze plaque, $100 fedora hat, golf bag, General Electric blanket and radio, Thermos water jug set, 14-karat gold key chain autographed in links, silver loving cup, 25 volumes of Joe DiMaggio Capitol records for Yankee Juniors, set of Lionel trains for Joe Jr., driving and sun glasses for Yankee Juniors, Christmas candy and baseball and bat, 500 Joe DiMaggio shirts in Joe's name to Yankee Juniors, ship's clock, oil painting of Joe DiMaggio, carpeting for his living room in Amsterdam, NY, a Westinghouse toaster, a 14-karat gold money clip, open house privileges at hotels Concourse Plaza and Martin

ique in the Bronx (these hotels also provided a four year college scholarship for a boy of Joe's selection), Il Progresso newspaper medal of honor, 300 quarts of Cardini ice cream for any institution designated by Joe, a statuette neckerchief and clip from the Boy scouts of America, an air-foam mattress and box spring, Fond du Lac Wisconsin cheese, 14-karat gold watch with diamond numerals from the Italian Welfare Association of Elizabeth, NJ, a case of shoestring potatoes, a case of Ventura County oranges, a sack of walnuts, a case of lemonade and frozen lima beans, a hand-painted tie, a polished wood paperweight, a leather wallet, a metal good luck elephant, sterling silver rosary beads for Joe Jr., a portrait from Frank Paladino of Brooklyn, NY, a Sporting News plaque, a dozen gold balls, an ash tray, a Thermo tote bag, a Columbia bicycle for Joe Jr., fishing tackle, luggage, a cocker spaniel from the American Spaniel Club, a plaque from the Columbia Civic Club of Newark, NJ, a traveling bag, a certificate of recognition from the Italian Historical Society of America, Lux Clock Company traveling alarm clock, a sterling

 silver money clip, hand painted ties for Joe and Joe Jr., taxi service for 300 fans from Newark ("This ride is on Joe D.") -- Brown and White Cab Company of Newark, NJ.

A History of the Baseball DiMaggios slide control slide control slide control The Legendary Yankee Clipper Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio was born on November 25, 1914 as Guiseppe Paolo DiMaggio. During his 13 year major league baseball career as a centerfielder with the New York Yankees Joe earned the nicknames "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper". His legacy includes a 56-game hitting streak during the 1941 season, a record that has yet to be broken today. DiMaggio was also a three time MVP winner and an All-Star player every season of his 13 year career. During his career with the Yankees, the club won ten American League championships and nin World Series. At the time of his retirement he was ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentages (.579). Joe DiMaggio was voted sports greatest living player in a national poll taken during the baseball centennial year of 1969, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

Other DiMaggios who have played professional baseball include Joe's brothers Dom and Vince, who were both outfielders in the major leagues, and cousin Frank DiMaggio, a third baseman. Get In Touch The Greatest Yankees Nicknames The Greatest Yankees Nicknames Nicknames in baseball seem to be more recognizable than players actual names, especially if you are a Yankees fan. Out of all of the nicknames given to these star athletes, here is a list of the greatest nicknames in Yankees history. 10- Coming in at number 10, is Phil Rizzuto. Nicknamed “Scooter,” this alias came about because of the way he ran around the bases. Rizzuto was signed by the Yankees in 1937 and spent the next six decades as part of the Bombers’ family as a player and broadcaster. After retiring in the 1957, Rizzuto scooted to the broadcast booth to begin a nearly 40-year stint as one of the voices of the Yankees. Famed for his catchphrase “Holy Cow!” and his love of cannoli, Scooter certainly proved to be no huckleberry behind the mike either. 9- Next at number 9 is Mickey Mantle.

Better known as The Mick, Muscles or The Commerce Comet, there’s not a space long enough to list the greatness that is Mickey Mantle, whose pair of nicknames stem from his hitting ability (a .298 career average with 532 home runs) and his hometown (Commerce, Oklahoma). Contrary to what the latter moniker might suggest, Mantle only stole 153 bases in his 18-year career … but then again, after patrolling the cavernous center field in the old Yankee Stadium for nearly two decades, we can excuse The Mick if his legs were a little tired sometimes. 8- Lawrence Peter Berra, better known as Yogi, holds the number 8 spot on this list. His name is so iconic that many don’t even know his real name! You may think his moniker stems from Yogi Bear, who shares a similar offbeat wit as Berra, but it was actually earned when a friend observed Yogi’s cross-legged method of sitting. This caption would be remiss without a mention of his famous Yogi-isms, but his witty barbs are far too numerous to attempt to pare down. Hey, it gets late early around here.

7- Who better to hold the next spot than Joseph DiMaggio. At number 7, this man better known as “Joltin’ Joe,” “The Yankee Clipper,” or simply “Joe,” hit in 56 straight games, a record still yet to be broken. The guy who married Marilyn Monroe and whose name has even made a few song appearances, certainly deserves a spot on this list. 6- Next up is Don Mattingly, also known as “Donnie Baseball,” was the face of the New York Yankees in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, a franchise cornerstone who won nine Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. He was named team captain in 1991, and his No. 23 was retired in 1997. Amazingly, about the only thing Mattingly never did in pinstripes was win a championship but, we still like him anyway. 5- Lou Gehrig is next. Coming in at number 5, “The Iron Horse,” first appeared as a pinch hitter on June 1, 1925. Gehrig started at first base the next day in place of a slumping Wally Pipp.

He then showed up to work for the next 2,130 consecutive game days, even while (unknowingly) suffering from the beginning effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – the cruel disease which prematurely ended his career and his life, and would later be named in his memory. Cal Ripken would later break Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games played, but on the day his new record streak ended, Baltimore’s opponent was, fittingly, the New York Yankees. 4- Reggie Jackson holds the number 4 spot with his nickname “Mr. October.” Reginald Martinez Jackson polarized the Yankees’ fan base like perhaps no other. Reggie claimed to be the “straw that stirs the drink” upon coming to the Bronx in 1977, and backed that up by helping lead the Yankees to their first World Championship in 15 years. That fall, Reggie truly earned the nickname accidentally given to him by Thurman Munson. Jackson hit .450 and slugged an astounding 1.250 in the 1977 World Series, bashing a Series-record five home runs. 3- Coming in at number 3, is Derek Jeter.

Better known as “Mr. November,” “Mr. Yankee,” or even “Captain Clutch,” this man hit a game-winning home run in the early morning hours of November 1, 2001. The Yankees won another World Series thanks to Jeter’s hit and prompted the scoreboard operator (in homage to Reggie Jackson) to crown Derek as “Mr. November.” 2- Probably the man with the most nicknames in baseball history, George Herman Ruth comes in at number 2. Better known as The Babe, The King of Crash, The Sultan of Swat, The Colossus of Clout, or The Great Bambino, it is hard to pick just one alias. With a .342 career average, 714 home runs, and a legendary curse named after him, Ruth’s record speaks for itself. And to this day, the original Yankee Stadium is still known as “The House That Ruth Built.” 1-Finally, the number one nickname in Yankees history belongs to George Steinbrenner.

Better known as “The Boss,” he purchased the Yankees from CBS in 1973, the team had gone eight years since appearing in the World Series – then the franchise’s longest Fall Classic drought since their first appearance in 1921.Over the next five years, Steinbrenner orchestrated a complete overhaul of the franchise, from the players and the staff right down to the complete renovation of Yankee Stadium. It paid off, and in 1977, the Yankees brought the Commissioner’s Trophy back to the Bronx for the first time since 1962. That was just the beginning of three more decades of decadence, as Steinbrenner did whatever was necessary to make the Yankees baseball’s pre-eminent franchise in perpetuity, including pioneering the first deal between an MLB team and a cable network – paving the way for the YES Network as you know it today. To read more about Yankees nicknames and to see numbers 20-11, you can go here . Well friends, it is a bittersweet day for Baseball fans.

The World Series is over, marking the … Read More » Customer Testimonials I bought one of your set-ups for my son’s room, and could not be happier with how it turned out. The quality was far better than I could have expected... Many thanks. I am amazed at the intricate detail of your pieces….. Thanks, the facade is everything I hoped it would be …. I can’t stop looking at it. I just want to let you know I received my order on Friday, and I am amazed at the great detail!! I like the small retired number, I think they are very well done! They are beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m sure we will be ordering more items in the future. The room looks great with all the numbers. The plaques are very, very, nice. They give my collection a truly professional look. Thank you so much for offering such unique quality products. 1000+ images about "THE YANKEE CLIPPER" on Pinterest | Yankee stadium, Mantles and Actresses Forward A glimpse of Joltin' Joe DiMaggio on a train stop in Chicago on October 4, 1939.

He was just shy of his 25th birthday and three years into his 13-year-career with the New York Yankees, and 15 years before he famously wed Marilyn Monroe. See More The Greatest Yankees Nicknames The Greatest Yankees Nicknames Counting down the greatest nicknames in Yankees history 05/31/2008 2:54 PM ET Email The Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, tops our list. (AP) As Yankee Stadium prepares to make its final curtain call, YESNetwork.com looked at the greatest Yankees nicknames in the organization's history. We revealed our list of the best nicknames to ever don the pinstripes, but we also want to know what you think. Do you agree with our list? Do you have a list of your own? Post your thoughts now . 1. THE IRON HORSE The choice of the Iron Horse as the top Yankees nickname goes beyond Henry Louis Gehrig the athlete. Yes, he played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood untouched until 1995.

Surely his seven All-Star game appearances, 1,995 RBIs and lifetime batting average of .340 merited immediate Hall of Fame status. The fact that Gehrig had fortitude made of iron and steel and never  ever  accepted defeat is what makes him a Yankee legend for eternity. It appeared as if Gehrig would play forever until he was stricken with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), which later became known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. On May 2, 1939, Gehrig asked manager Joe McCarthy to take him out of the lineup. On June 21, the Yankees announced Gehrig's retirement and proclaimed July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day. Proving that he was physically, mentally and emotionally tough, Gehrig, a dying man speaking to a sellout crowd at Yankee Stadium, considered himself The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth. Incredibly, a man who knew he was going to die told his teammates and fans how lucky was and that he had an awful lot to live for.

Gehrig died at age 39, but his indomitable spirit was the true driving force behind the moniker, The Iron Horse. 2. MR. OCTOBER Reggie Jackson finished his 21-season career with 563 home runs and five World Series rings, but the moment that defined him as one of baseball's most familiar figures came during the 1977 Series against the Dodgers. After hitting home runs in Games 4 and 5, Jackson went yard in three consecutive at-bats during Game Six, finishing with a dramatic 475-foot shot among chants of "Reg-GIE! Reg-GIE! Reg-GIE!" The performance secured his place as one of the all-time great clutch hitters. In a postgame interview during the '77 Series, Yankees great Thurman Munson thought reporters would be better off talking to the hot-hitting Jackson. He told them to go ask "Mr. October," a title that would stick with him through the ages. 3.

PHIL "SCOOTER" RIZZUTO Phil Rizzuto received the nickname "Scooter" while in the Minor Leagues, when infielder Billy Hitchcock noticed Rizzuto's short legs and said, "You ain't runnin', you're scootin.'" Rizzuto would scoot to the Majors and earn American League's Most Valuable Player honors in 1950 after leading the Yankees to their second consecutive pennant with a .324 batting average. Scooter played a major role on a team dynasty that captured 10 AL titles in his 13 seasons. Rizzuto himself played in nine World Series, winning seven, and his popularity reached new heights when he called Yankees games on radio and television for the next 40 years. Not only was Scooter behind the mic when Roger Maris belted his 61st home run, he became best known for his popular catchphrase, "Holy cow!" 4. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Edwin Charles Ford was given the nickname "Whitey" while playing in the Minor Leagues for his blond hair.

But it was when Ford ascended to the ace of the Yankees pitching staff that he was called "The Chairman of the Board" for his ability to remain calm and in control during high-pressure situations. Ford anchored the rotation of the famed 1961 team, posting a 25-4 record with a 3.21 ERA to win the Cy Young Award. His 236 all-time wins is still a Yankees franchise record and Ford's .690 winning percentage still ranks first among pitchers with at least 300 career decisions. Among those with at least 200, only Pedro Martinez (.692) rates higher than The Chairman of the Board. 5. THE SULTAN OF SWAT George Herman Ruth became known as Babe while living in an orphanage. According to the official Babe Ruth Web site, one of his teachers introduced him to Baltimore Orioles manager Joe Dunn. After watching him pitch, Dunn signed him and became his legal guardian.

Ruth's new teammates nicknamed him "Jack's newest babe." Because Ruth went on to belt 714 home runs and post a record .690 lifetime slugging percentage, writers attempted to capture the essence of his greatness by giving him nicknames like "The Great Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat." 6. THE YANKEE CLIPPER In November 1914, Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio was born. Not many people outside of his hometown of Martinez, Calif., knew much about the young boy at the time. Fast forward to 1936, and the entire nation was talking about the Yankee rookie with a .323 batting average  Joe DiMaggio, formerly Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio. In fact, DiMaggio became so popular with the American public that he adopted several nicknames, including "Joltin' Joe" and "Joe D." But it's "The Yankee Clipper" that helps land DiMaggio on the list of greatest Yankees nicknames.

While patrolling center field in Yankee Stadium, DiMaggio looked as smooth and graceful as the popular 19th century clipper sailing ships known for their speed and ability to cut through wavy waters. 7. DONNIE BASEBALL Though Don Mattingly's first nickname was "The Hit Man," he is best known as "Donnie Baseball" and is one of the most popular Yankees in franchise history. It was Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett who created the moniker for a player who played each game as hard as he could and is recognized as one of the game's finest defensive first basemen. Mattingly's popularity is up there with Ruth, Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio. Although he never played in a World Series game, Donnie Baseball annually receives the loudest ovations at the Yankees' Old Timer's Day event. 8. GATOR Two decades after throwing his final pitch as a member of the New York Yankees, Ron Guidry can't walk the hallowed halls of Yankee Stadium without hearing, "Hey, Gator" from friends and former teammates.

Rarely, if ever, will Guidry be called by his real name, proving that his nickname is one of the best in Yankees history. Also known as "Louisiana Lightning," Guidry authored one of the greatest single seasons in baseball history in 1978, posting a 25-3 record with a 1.74 ERA and 248 strikeouts. Gator started the '78 season 13-0 to keep the Yankees from falling hopelessly out of playoff contention, and won 10 of his final 12 decisions to play a major role in New York's comeback from 14 ½ games out of first place to overtake the Boston Red Sox in an epic one-game playoff at Fenway Park. 9. MOOSE Two prominent Yankees shared the Moose moniker. One was Bill Skowron, a five-time All-Star as a Yankee (1957-61) and an annual participant in Old Timer's Day.

As a joke, Skowron's friends called him "Mussolini" as a joke thanks to similar haircut given to him by his grandfather, until his family shortened the nickname to "Moose." After starring with the Orioles for nine seasons, Mike Mussina joined the Yankees as a free agent in 2001. He made an immediate impression by going 17-11 with a 3.15 ERA and was one strike away from a perfect game against the Red Sox on Sept. 2. Each time Mussina gets to two strikes on a batter, and whenever he leaves a game after an impressive performance, Yankees fans shower Mussina with a "Moose" call. 10. THE MICK Decades before nicknames like "The Jake" and "The Bob" became popular within MLB circles, Mickey Mantle was affectionately known as "The Mick". Of course, on a list of all-time great Yankee players, Mickey Mantle would easily come in higher than No. 10, but when it comes to the best nicknames in the organization's history, The Mick settles in a little lower. But that doesn't mean it's not a great nickname.

In fact, its simplicity is what attracted YESNetwork.com's editorial staff to select it to the Top 10. Joe Di Maggio, the Yankee Clipper Joe Di Maggio Dead at 84  1999 Joe Di Maggio, the Yankee Clipper I would like to take the great Di Maggio fishing, the old man said. They says his father was a fisherman. Maybe he was as poor as we are and would understand. Ernest Hemingway The Old Man and the Sea His name was Giuseppe Paolo Di Maggio and he came from the community of Isola Delle Femmine, an islet off the coast of Sicily, where the Di Maggios had been fishermen for generations. Known as Zio Pepe, he migrated to the town of Martinez, a small fishing community some 25 miles northeast of the Golden Gate. In 1915, hearing of the luckier waters of San Francisco, he packed his fishing boat with his furniture and his family and docked at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco.

He found a flat on Taylor street, near the Wharf, and there he lived and worked at the sea and began to raise his large family. His children, in order, were Nellie, Mamie, Tom, Marie, Mike, Frances, Vince, Joe Jr., and Dominic. He wanted two of the boys to help him in the fish business, one to be a great opera singer, one to be a lawyer because he wore glasses, and one to be a bookkeeper, because you can sit down. Instead three of the sons went on from Fishermans Wharf to become the greatest baseball playing family in the history of the game, one of them being the immortal Joe Di Maggio, the Yankee Clipper. In 13 years of baseball from 1936 to 1949, this son of an immigrant fisherman earned an estimated total of $704,769 playing for the New York Yankees team. When the elder Di Maggio came to Fishermans Wharf from Martinez the younger Joe was only one year old.

Fishermans Wharf in those days was placid and picturesque, but there was also a competitive undercurrent and struggle for power along the pier. At dawn the boats would sail out for their catch, and then the men would race back with their hauls, hoping to beat their fellow fishermen to shore and sell it while they could. Some 20 or 30 boats would sometimes be trying to gain the channel shoreward at the same time and a fisherman had to know every rock in the water, and later, know every bargaining trick along the shore, because the dealers and some restaurateurs would play one fishermen off against the other, keeping the prices down. In time the fishermen became wiser and organized, pre- determining the maximum amount each fisherman could catch. But, there were always some men who, like the fish, never learned and sometimes heads were broken, nets slashed, gasoline poured onto their fish and flowers of warning placed outside their doors. Those days were ending when the elder Di Maggio arrived and he wanted his five sons, at first, to succeed him as fishermen. The first two did, Tom and Mike. The third, Vincent, liked to sing.

He sang so well, and his fame spread in the Italian community, that the great banker A.P. Giannini heard him and offered a plan to send him to Italy for tutoring. But, there was not enough money around the Di Maggio household and they hesitated, and Vince never went. With the other boys it was different. Joe tells about it in his autobiography, Lucky to be a Yankee. I was born in Martinez, but my earliest recollection was of the smell of fish at Fishermans Wharf, where I was brought up. Our main support was a fishing boat, with which my father went crabbing. If you didnt help in the fishing, you had to help in cleaning the boat. Baseball didnt have much appeal to me as a kid, but it was better than helping Pop when he was fishing, or helping clean the boat.

I was always giving him excuses, principally that I had a weak stomach, but he insisted I was lagnuso (lazy) and to tell you the truth, I dont know which he thought was the greater disgrace to the family, that a Di Maggio should be lazy or that a Di Maggio should have a weak stomach. There was a lot of us Di Maggios, nine in all. Pop worked on a two- year scale and everybodys clothes fit everybody else, which meant that only Nellie, the oldest girl, and Tom, the oldest boy, ever got a chance to wear new clothes. Hand- me- downs outfitted the rest of us. Pop didnt like baseball in those days. Too many shoes, too many pants, was his description of our national past- time. Even with plenty of hand- me- downs, the Di Maggios in those days couldnt reconcile themselves to the shoes I wore out or the pants I tore in my baseball cavorting. Bocci was pops game, an Italian version of lawn bowling.

Baseball to me in those days was merely an excuse to get away from the house and away from the chores of fishing. When Pop gave up trying to make me work on the boat, I gave up playing baseball in the sand patch by the Wharf, and tried my hand at selling newspapers, a job my father declared suited me perfectly since it consisted mostly of standing still and shouting. Vince, who had been far more successful than I in baseball, had quit high school to help support the family, although my mothers advice was to continue his education. Two years later, I followed Vince. Up to the time my baseball playing had been sketchy. In fact, I almost stopped playing when I was 14. Our home was by Fishermans Wharf, close to the old North Beach playground, where I had my first baseball experience at the age of ten. I was third baseman in those days and played well enough to be on the usual teams with the kids around my block. Pop, having despaired of my ever becoming a fisherman, urged me to study bookkeeping. Its a job you can do sitting down, said Pop significantly, for he was convinced I was lazy.

Vince, meanwhile, was making good in a big way, or so it seemed to me. He had been signed by the San Francisco Seals and farmed out to Tucson. I was a pretty cocky kid in those days and I said to myself, If Vince can get dough for playing ball, I can, too. As a matter of fact, Vince often pleaded with me to take the game more seriously, and it was his idea that I could play well enough to make money at it. Some of the kids around the block decided to get up a team and go in the Boys Club League, and we won the championship in our division. There was an olive oil dealer in our neighborhood, named Rossi, who took our club out of the Boys Club League and outfitted us with better uniforms and equipment than we ever had before. He was a real fan and took great pride in having a ball club of his own. We won the championship in a play- off, in which I hit two home runs. As a reward for this, I received two gold baseballs and two orders for merchandise worth about $8 each.

It was my first financial return from baseball. With his brother playing for the San Francisco Seals, Joe began hanging around the ball park and to his delight was invited to the Seals training camp for the 1933 season. Joe made the team and sports writers described him as a tall gangling youngster, all arms and legs and like a frisky colt. His batting prowness soon asserted itself and, in his first year, Joe was attacking the [Pacific Coast] league record for hitting in successive games. There were 10,000 people in Seals Stadium on July 4, 1933, including Joes family, to watch him try for a hit in his 49th straight game, which would break a long standing record. In the first inning Joe singled to center field and the record was broken. Then the game was stopped, Joe recalled. Angelo Rossi, Mayor of San Francisco, came on to the field to congratulate me personally, which was quite a thrill to a kid who couldnt be able to vote for him for three more years. My whole family was on hand and my mother hugged me for joy.

She didnt understand much about baseball but she realized I was being honored and that was enough for her. The publicity attendant on my batting streak converted Pop to baseball. At first, he thought it was silly for people to dress up in short pants with spikes and gloves. Then he couldnt see me, a kid, making good against all those older men. He forgot about this and even forgot about bocci. Bocci ball? Pop would say, No money in bocci ball. Baseball, thats the game.  Joes hitting streak finally ended at 61 games. He was then presented with a watch by Mayor Rossi and a traveling bag from his friends at Fishermans Wharf. Joe secretly was more pleased with the traveling bag. The traveling bag came in handy because Joe was then signed for the 1936 season to play with the New York team, the start of a brilliant career that took him for the first time away from Fishermans Wharf he knew so well. Baseball opened many doors for Joe.

At 6 feet, 2 inches, with brown eyes and black hair, he struck an impressive role both on and off the field. Joe immediately broke into cafe society and was named one of the nations ten best dressed men. But, Joe never forgot San Francisco, nor they him. After his first season with the Yankees, Joe returned home to a heros welcome. They had a brass band to meet me at the station, recalled Joe. My parents were crying like children and everyone was shouting DiMag is back. All the fellows Id grown up with at Fishermans Wharf were there and they hoisted me on their shoulders and took me to an automobile which carried me to City Hall. There Mayor Rossi made a speech of welcome, telling me how much Id done for San Francisco. If I were any kind of speaker then, which I was not, I could have told the Mayor that San Francisco had one a lot for me, too. While Joe was beginning to hit home runs and break more records, the third Di Maggio, this one Dominic, was making his way up the same baseball ladder.

He was the smallest and youngest of the Di Maggios. I was determined to become a big leaguer, said Dom, to disprove all those cracks that I was being given my start just because of my brothers. Wrote one cruel sportswriter: He is the tail on Joes kite. Dom was named most valuable player on the Seals and in 1940 went to the Boston Red Sox where he was known as the Little Professor. He soon moved out of Joes deep shadows, which blanketed him in his early years and ran up an impressive record of his own. I think Pops pride and joy was Dom, said Joe. When Dominic was in short pants, Pop wanted him to become a lawyer because he wears glasses. Dom, who never looked as though hed grow to be five feet, gained five inches in his 18th year and promptly turned to baseball.

As a purely personal opinion, I think hes the best defensive outfielder Ive ever seen. Dominic fished more than either of his baseball brothers, Vince or Joe. He enjoyed the clear moonlit nights, the easy motions of the fishing boat and the harvest of fish that poured from the nets. He often went out with his brother Mike and on one occasion had a near brush with tragedy. Mike and I were out this night, said Dominic, It was rough and choppy. We had a net out and were rounding a point. Usually the current took us out. This time it carried us in. We never learned why. There was a reef off the point, with just a narrow passage between it and the mainland. Our only choice was to squeeze through. Just as we reached it, Mike cut the net loose, and in we went. There was a strong current. The water came up to the gunwales and we scraped bottom, but we went through.

If wed ever hit or stuck well, we lost the net but saved our lives. Tragedy later struck down Mike in 1953, at the age of 44, when he fell from his boat while fishing in the Bay and drowned. By now Joe and the Di Maggio family were national celebrities. The elder Di Maggio was always being greeted on the Wharf by friends and strangers alike, who wanted to talk baseball. With three of his sons in baseball Zio Pepe learned enough of the game to carry on conversations about batting averages and who was going to win the pennant. Zio Pepe developed an uncanny sense of prophecy about Joes game. In 1938, he predicted Joe would hit 46 home runs, which he did. Joe crossed him up in 1940. The elder Di Maggio called for 30 home runs, and Joe hit 31. Joe went on to many baseball records. He led the American League in batting in 1939 and 1940 and let in the number of home runs in 1937 and 1948.

He batted safely in 56 consecutive games in 1941 for a new record, and he was named the most valuable player in the American League in 1939, 1941 and 1947. If there was any doubts of Joes role as a celebrity outside of the playing field they were dispelled on November 19, 1939, when he married movie actress Dorothy Arnold, whom he met while making a movie in Hollywood. The ceremony was held at St. Peter and Paul Church in North Beach and some 30,000 persons crowded the church inside and outside to see the famed couple. Fans climbed trees and stood on rooftops to catch a glimpse of the couple leaving the church. With the baseball Di Maggios earning more money than any fisherman ever dreamed, Joe first bough a new home for his folks in the Marina District, and still comfortably near the Wharf. In 1937, the Di Maggios decided to open a restaurant on the Wharf, called Joe Di Maggios Grotto, and the huge electric sign showed Joe in his familiar baseball hitting stance.

The walls of the restaurant itself were lined with pictures of Joes and Doms and Vinces baseball buddies. Tom took over management of the restaurant and it proved an excellent opportunity for the older Di Maggio to retire gracefully from fishing. The elder Di Maggio took great pride in preparing meals for baseball players who visited the Grotto during the off season. He often cooked them the Italian dish of cioppino, gave them towels for bibs and told them to dig in with fingers, no knives or forks permitted. Divorce came to Joe and Dorothy Arnold in 1944, and then came his much publicized romance and marriage to film actress Marilyn Monroe in January of 1954. They were married at City Hall in San Francisco and reporters stood on chairs to look over the transom at the judge performing the ceremony. Joe brought Marilyn to live with him in a home near the Wharf in San Francisco. Sometimes they could be seen early in the morning fishing off Joes boat, the Yankee Clipper. In the evening they could be seen walking along the pier, holding hands and passing by many tourists who failed to recognize the famed couple.

Columnists took delight in writing about Marilyn shopping in neighborhood stores and not being recognized. But all was not rosy. Joe was then 39, and Marilyn, 27, and there was a growing disharmony in their temperaments. Joe had been through his baseball career and he was tired of publicity, while Marilyn was thriving on it. Joe was intolerant of tardiness, while Marilyn was always late. In a much repeated story, Marilyn appeared before some 10,000 troops in Korean to entertain and later exclaimed to Joe: You never heard such cheering! and Joe replied, Yes, I have. They separated nine months after their marriage and were later divorced. Marilyn later married, and divorced, playwright Arthur Miller. But after Marilyns death it was a sorrowful Joe who made the funeral arrangements. He described Marilyn as a warmhearted girl that those people in Hollywood took advantage of. In time, Joe sold out his interest in the family restaurant, though he was seen there on many occasions over the years. He invested his money wisely and took part in a number of business deals.

He returned to baseball in 1968 as a coach for the newly transferred Oakland Athletics. Vince, who played on a number of major league teams, retired to live and work as a carpenter in nearby Pittsburg, California. Dom became the most successful in the business world and went to live in a fashionable Boston suburb with his family. In: Crab is King: the colorful stories and the fascinating history of Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco, also some favorite Wharf recipes by Bernard Averbuch. San Francisco : Mabuhay Pub. Co., 1973. Joe Di Maggio Bibliography Author: Di Maggio, Joe, 1914- Baseball for Everyone; a Treasury of Baseball Lore and Instruction for Fans and Players. Line illus. by Lenny Hollreister. Advisory board of baseball experts: Carl Hubbell [and others], with a special chapter How to score, by Red Barber. New York, Whittlesey House [1948] Di Maggio, Joe, 1914-

Question: Which US Baseball player was nicknamed The Yankee Clipper?
Answer: JOE DIMAGGIO